Anna Francine Andrino
October 01, 2023
Publication material by Cyriel Valeroso/The Communiqué
On the second day of Bulacan Tech Expo 2023 held at VistaMall Malolos on September 30, cosplayers around the province gathered in one epic culmination of beauty, originality, and passion.
Contrary to popular belief, cosplaying is a beneficial activity for persons who struggle with self-esteem and confidence.
This is what the majority of cosplayers from BTX tell us on why they do their alter ego's looks and personality to get out of their comfort zones and face their fears.
“I did cosplay because I was trying to get rid of the barrier in my mind that people will [sic] judge me. Hindi siya nakakatakot unlike [what] some people say. It’s really fun. People should get into it,” a Cyno (a character from Genshin Impact) cosplayer said on their experience of why they started cosplaying.
“You can immerse yourself in a character or fandom. It's just one small push in order to break the stigma," they added.
Unlike what most people say, cosplaying is not just a silly sub-culture of pop-culture enthusiasts. It also demonstrates their enthusiasm, beauty, and ingenuity, as well as how much effort they put into producing something they enjoy.
“The character [Cyno] holds something deep in my heart," they said, pertaining to the character's appeal to their psyche as both a gamer and a cosplayer.
The cosplayer then proceeded to share that they spent about three thousand pesos for the costume of Cyno from Genshin Impact. They even had their costumes custom-made.
Meanwhile, cosplaying has become a staple of tech expos around the world, owing to the fact that tech is often tied with gaming and esports culture wherein its players have the desire to bring these characters to life.
Not only that, the internet's crazy, and often misunderstood Kawaii culture was also a driving force for these enthusiasts to dress up like their favorite anime and game characters. And as computers rapidly evolve to be an accessible piece of tech, the relationship between these cultures only becomes closer together.
Cosplaying as a way of communication
Additionally, speaking of relationships, with gamers and "otakus" having stereotypes of being shy, and socially awkward persons, cosplayers found the refuge they needed behind the characters they portray to forge connections to other people.
“Personally, main reason ko [bakit ako nagco-cosplay] is because mababa talaga self-confidence ko so… parang confidence booster ang cosplay,” a Zhongli (another character from Genshin Impact) cosplayer said in an interview.
They also shared that in 2018, she and her friend, who dressed up as Princess Marceline (from Adventure Time) in the same event, began cosplaying.
They also bared that they made a friend at the BTX who dressed up as Gojo Satoru (a character from the titular Jujutsu Kaisen franchise).
Showing us that through this art, they meet new people as a result, which allows them to improve their social skills and create relationships; not being afraid of the judgment we onlookers often have.
Breaking beyond body standards
Meanwhile, a cosplayer of Rose Quartz from Steven Universe proudly introduced herself and why she chose Rose Quartz as her character.
She mentioned that she believes that she’s got the same body size as Rose Quartz which is why she chose the role.
She also mentioned that as a plus-size woman, it makes her happy to cosplay the character because it represents other plus-size cosplayers as well.
“Cosplaying is not [just] a competition. Nakikita ko ngayon sa cosplay community, kahit wala ka sa competition, nakikipag-compete ka sa what you think is magandang cosplay. Pero in reality, it is you who put yourself in there, kaya just have fun. Anyone can join the cosplay community," she continued.
She also shared the first rule of the cosplay community: to have fun. For her it is not a competition to see who is the best cosplayer by having the nicest outfit, but rather a community where everyone should have fun and feel good about themselves.
“Well, hindi mo malalaman kung hindi mo susubukan.”
Those were Yuichiro and Kokushibo’s (characters from the popular anime and manga series Demon Slayer) cosplayers message to the people who desire to be a cosplayer someday, but are too shy to begin.
Even though it was a short statement, it was meant to awaken the hearts of many and it is a statement powerful enough to encourage others to start cosplaying as well. Those statements are not just meant for cosplaying, surely, but also for the other hobbies that we ought to try.
Cosplaying is not a sign of childishness. It is a form of art where people are free to express who they are, their personalities, their creativity, and their skills. It is a beauty that people should appreciate more.
May this serve as an inspiration to many people who want to try new things but are too scared to start. So get up, hold your head high, and just start doing it.
You will never know if you never try.
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